Switch throwing and locking apparatus.



N. BURAS & E. P. LARRY. SWITGHTHROWING AND LOOKING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 13110.28, 1909.

991,422. Patented Ma 2, 1911.

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NORBEBT IBURAS AND EDWARD P. LARRY, F VENICE, LOUISIANA.

SWITCH THROWING AND LOCKING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Nonnnnr BURAS and 'ED\VARD P. LARRY, citizens of the United States, residing at Venice. in the parish of Plaquemineand State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switch Throwing and Locking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention pertains to means for throwin and locking switches and other devices; an it contemplates the provision [of an apparatus embodying such a construction that a single lever is used to unlock any one of a plurality of switches or other movable devices, and then throw the same from one position to another.

The invention also contemplates the arrangement of the plurality of combinations wit which the single lever is designed to cooperate, in a single stand, and this compactly and yet in such manner that there is no liability of any one of the said combinations interfering with the operation of any other.

The. invention also contemplates the provision of movable means designed to be connectedwith a switch or other device to be moved, movable means for normally locking the first-named means and means movable into and out of the first-na1ned means; the

' said elements being so relatively arranged thatthe introduction of the third-named means in the first-named means is attended by locking of the latter while removal of the third-named means from the first-named means is attended by locking of said firstnamed means.

i With the foregoing in mind, the invention will be fully understoodfrom the following description and claims when the same are read 1n connection with the drawings, ac-

companying and forming part of this specification, in which:

. Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus constituting the best practical embodiment of our invention of which we are cognizant.

Fig.2 is a horizontal section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 2--2 of Fig. 1,

looking downward. Fig. 3 is a detail verticalsection, taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section, taken on line 44 of Fig. 1

and showing one of the gravitating latches and the vertical rock shaft with which it cooperates. Flg. 5 IS a horizontal section Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 28, 1999.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Serial no. 535,379.

taken in the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking downward.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

Our novel apparatus comprises a stand 1 and a lever-support or pedestal 2; the latter being arranged as shown in Fig. Q,relative to the former.

.As shown in Fig. 1,, the stand 1 comprises an upright frame 3, having a base plate 4 that is adapted to be fixed in position. and also comprises a stepped bracket 5, suitably fixed to and depending from the base plate of the main frame.

The supportor-pedestal 2 is stepped and provided with slots 0. as bestshown in Fig. 3, and is designed to be suitably fixed in the position shown in Fig. 2. In the slots 6 and on the uppermost step of the pedestal 2 are fulcrumed six (more or less)"horiz ontally swinging T-shaped levers 7. and the head of each of said levers is designed to be connected through rods 8, Fig. 2. with the switch or other movable device that is to be moved and locked; the stepped'character of the pedestal serving to prevent the levers and the. rods from interfering notwithstand' ing the compactness of the arrangement.

Journaled in the frame 3 and bracket 5 of the stand 1 are six (more or Iess)1fnpright rock-shafts 9. and fixed on the lower ends of the said rock-shafts 9 are cranks 10; each crank being arranged adjacent one of the steps of the bracket r') in order to prevent the cranks interfering with each other. and-also in order to prevent interference between the link-bars 11 which. connect the cranks 10 with .the stems of the T-levers 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. By particular reference to said figure, it will be manifest that rocking of any one of the rock-shafts 9 in a directibn to swing its crank 10 toward the left will be attended by swinging movement of the particular lever 7 connected with said crank 10 in one direction. while rocking of the. said shaft 9 in the opposite direction will swing its crank 10 toward thg right. and swing the mentioned lever 7 in if direction opposite to that first-named."

' -Each rock-shaft 9 is provided near its upper end with a horizontal tapered socket llO will also beobserved by comparison of Figs.

4 and 5 that in its upper end each rock-shaftv 9 1s"provitled with grooves wh ch intersect. each other and communicate with the aperture 13.

- Aljacent each rock-shaft 9 a gravitatm latch 15 is pivoted, which latch s provide with a lower edge portion 16 designed-to seat in the particulargroove 14 thatis pre sented to it, and is also: provided with a. dependin'g'tnd beveled portion ;1'( ..designed tor extend through the aperture 13 and intothe socket 12 o;the.rock-shaft. Each of the plurality of latches 15. is connected as shown to a bracket 18 on the back ofthe stand 1. '19 is the .lever for-unlocking and'throw-' ing the rock shafts 9 and thesswitches or other 'jmovable vdevice's --(not shown) con'-. nected therewithl The-said lever :19 isprovided atone end, with a tapered portion 20,

sired to unlock and throw; one rock-shaft, '25

designed to be placed in thesockets 12v of the shafts-9 in the manner shown in Fig. 4;.

With the parts in the positionshown in. Fig. 1, all of thefroc'k-shafts 9 are locked against rotation, When, however, it .is deand the switch or other;device connected -therewith, the -opera-tor simply inserts the lever .19 in the socket 12 of the particular rock-shaft, and thenrocks the shaftv by swinging the lever. In this connection it will be noticed that whenrthetapered POI-,- tion of the lever '19 is inserted in the socket 12, said tapered portion will act against thelatch portion 17 andjraise the latch-portion '16 from one ot the grooves Mo'f the rock-' shaft, and thereby unlock the rock-shaft}; also, that when the tapered portion of the lever 19 is withdrawn from the socket '12,

- the latch '15, will gravitate "and its portion 16 will, by entering one of the grooves 14 of the shaft, lock the said shaft against rota-'- tion'. .Thuslvvhenja switch, 1for instance, is; locked in closed position.by" the locking of one of the shafts 9 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the placing of the lever 19 in the socket 12 of said sha-ft will unlock thevshaft and the switch. Thenby -ro cking the shaft through the lever 19 the switch jean bethrown to open position, in which osition "it will be locked when the lever 19 is withdrawnfrom the socket 12 and the latch portion 16. enters one of the grooves'14 in the It. will be gathered from the "foregoing I that each of the rock-shafts 9 can be locked in two positions to secure a switch, for in stance, in closed and open position; and

. it'will also be gathered that the singlelever '-19 can be used to operate any one of the plurality of rock-shafts 9 and the" latch '15 complementary to the same.

While wet-have shown and described one form of-our invention. it is to be understood that we are not limited to the details or the form or relative arrangement of parts disclosed, but that modifications may 1 vention as claimed. i

horizontal tapered sockets near their upper seatin said grooves and also pending portion to extend through the aper- -rock-shafts.

2. Anap'paratus 'movable devices, comprising aplurality of suitably-supported levers adapted to be conn-ected with devices tobe'fthrown and locked,

comprising a be made therein within the scopeot out in- Having described our invention, what we claim and desire, to secure by Letterjslatent, is: p "1. Anapparatus -for throwingsand locking movable-devices, comprising a stand having a'-step ed"-bracket, a stepped pedestal, T-'

levers leru'med on the steps of-the pedestal, rods connected to "the heads of the said-T- levers and adapted tobe connected to the de- "vices to'be'moved and locked, upright rockshafts jonrnaled' in the stand and. h'aving ends! and "apertures extending from said sockets to said ends andlalso having grooves in said ends and arranged at an angle to each "other, cranks fixed on the lower-portions of the rock-shafts and arranged adja-' cent the steps ofthe bracket, links connecting'fsai'd cranks and the stems of-the T- levers, gravitating latches connected" with the stand and arranged above therockshafts and each having an-ed e portionto I swing a deturei'n a shaft an'dinto the tapered socket .thereof,"and" a lever having a-tapered end,

portion adapted tobe placed inand removed I from the; tapered socket .of'any one of for throwing arid locking a plurality of rock-shafts suitably sup orted side by side and; connected with said each of said rock-shafts having a tapered socketjnear onef'of its ends and -tan-aperture extending between said socket andend and also having grooves in the end, suit'ablysupported latches having edge "portions adapted to normall seat in said grooves and also having depen' ing'portions adapted to normallyextend through said apertures and ,intofsaid sockets, and a lever having a tapered end portion adapted to be placed in and removed'from-the tapered socket of any":

one of therock-shafts; i r 3. An apparatus for the purpose set-forth,

ported rockha tsj each'of said'shaftsihav 1'15- lurality of suitably suping a socket near oneend and an aperture extending between said socket and end and also having a groove in vthe 'end, suitablyi-f supported latches, each of-which-has a -por tio'n adapted to normally seat the groove of a sl\aft- 'nnd also hasa' portion adapted to normally extend through the shaft aperture and into the socket thereof, and a lever adapted to be placed in and" removed from v the socket of any one of the rock-shafts.

4. An apparatus for the purpose set forth,

comprising a plurality of suitably-supported rock-shafts each provided with 'D 16fl11S to receive a lever, latches for locking to normally cotiperate with said end of the the "rook-shafts, each latch extending into rock-shaft to lock the same; said latch havthe lever-receiving means of its respective ing a portion that normally extends throng! 15 A rockshaft, and a lever adapted to be placed said a erture and into said socket, and a e- 5 in and removed from the lever-receiving ver a apted to, be placed in and removed ,eans of any one of the rock-shafts, and from the said socket.

when so placed to disen age the res ective I latch of the rock-shaft fr om the latter? e An apparatus for the purpose set forth, 1o" comprising a rockshaft having a socket Witnesses:

,near one end and an aperture extending J OHN C. BURAS, i from said socket to said end, a latch adapted DORMINIQ COLONDROVIOH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents 511', by addressing the *Gemmi'nioner 0t i i i Washington, D. 0. 

